UDSspace

UDSspace preserves and enables easy and open access to online collection of Student achievement, Faculty research, and the University Archival Materials. This encompasses all types of digital content including Text, Images, Moving images, Mpegs and Data Sets

Strategies to ensuring that millions of households have access to enough food to maintain a
healthy life is the deep-seated challenge facing the world today of which the household
communities in Builsa District of the Upper East Region of Ghana are no exception. This study
therefore investigated the strategies put in place to ensure food security among households in the
Builsa District.
This research used case study approach. Given the multiplicity and complexity of the topic, both
qualitative and quantitative methods were employed in data collection. Both primary and
secondary data were collected for the intent of the study. Primary data collection made use of
Focus Group Discussions and in-depth interview with key participants using semi-structured or
open-ended questions. Simple descriptive statistics models such as frequency tables and
percentages were the approaches adopted in the data analysis of one hundred and fifty randomly
selected respondents in four case study communities in the District.
The main findings of the study revealed that, food security in the study households is perceived
as having enough food to meet one's family food requirements with varied diet whiles the
reverse is true for food insecurity household. Also, household food security depends significantly
on household income and asset or wealth status thus favoured among others, the Tengnyona and
regular income earners. A low-income household is more likely to suffer food shortages than a
wealthier household. Irrigation dams have been constructed in Wiaga to boost dry season
farming whiles that of Fumbisi dam is yet to be put to agricultural use. It further came to light
that, the Block farms and the Livestock Development Project were inadequate strategies since
they are not pro-poor for this reason households adopted other food-related coping strategies.
Food Aid has not been reliable and where possible, only benefits a few. It is recommended
among others that, insurance package should be put in place by the Ministry of Food and
Agriculture for farmers in the District against the vagaries of the weather, pest and other risks
notably among which is drought. The study further suggests the promotion of information and
knowledge through education, strengthening producer organisations as well as establishment of
cottage industries as household safety nets among others as means of tackling food insecurity in
Builsa District.